Water-wheel



(NoMoael.)

J. H. WILLIAMSON.

` WATER WHEEL. No. 329,351. Patented Oct. Z7, 1885.

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WATER- WHEEL.

SPECIFICATION 'forming part of Letters Patent No. 329,351,6lated October 27, 1885.

Application filed October 23, 1884.

To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES H. WILLIxMsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Branchville, in the county of Sussex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Water Vheels, of which the following is a specification.

Hy invention relates to that class of waterelevators in which a bladed wheel revolved by a running stream carries buckets, which lift the water from the stream to asuitable receptacle; and my invention consists in connecting the buckets to the wheel in such manner as to insure the free discharge of the water at the proper point without loss.

Heretofore it has been common in this class of wheels to iixedly attach the elevating-buckets to the supporting-arms of the wheels; but in all such cases it has been found that where the wheels are used in rapidly-flowing streams their revolution is so rapid as to carry the w ater beyond the point of discharge before it is emptied from the buckets. In this manner there is a great loss of power in elevating the water of which a part is carried beyond the receiving tank or receptacle, and thus escapes after having been raised to the required height. Besides the loss of power which results from such a construction, it will also be observed that as the speed of the tl'owing stream increases there is a corresponding decrease in the supply of water to the receiving-receptacle, so that in very rapid streams wheels of this character are practically of little or no value.

It is the object of my improvementsto overcome these difficulties incident to the present forms of wheels and to render them Aavailable in any ordinary water-course, no matter how rapid, so long as the speed of the wheel remains within certain limits, which by far exceed those prescribed as the maximum limits of speed at which the wheels now in use are serviceable. This object I accomplish by the peculiarly constructed and connected buckets, which, instead of being lixedl y secured to the wheel as heretofore, are hinged or pivoted thereto in such a manner that as the wheel rovolves and the buckets are raised to a certain elevation they will also be made to tilt by their own weight and discharge their contents at the proper point into the receiving-receptaele.

Serial No. 146,295. (No model.)

For a more detailed description reference'is made to the accompanying drawings,in which corresponding letters designate like parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a side view of my improved water-elevator, showing a flume in section; Fig. 2, a face view of one of the floats, and Fig. 3 a modification.

A is a paddle-wheel of ordinary type, consisting of a hub, c, from which extend radially one or more series of arms, b, carrying at their outer extremities tloats or paddles c, and braced by concentrieally-arranged rings d d, bolted or otherwise secured to the arms, as usual. This wheel is preferably supported above and within a flume, G, on a shaft, c, having its bearings in suitable standards rising from the side walls of the fiume; or, where the wheel is to be used in an open running stream of water it may he supported on floats anchored outin the stream in the usual manner. In either case the wheel is of course arranged at such a height above the water as to permit the iioais c to project into the same a sufficient distance to be completely covered when at their lowest point.

The buckets D may be of any approved forni; but I prefer the construction shown as being that best suited tothe purpose. They are approximately of a rectangular shape, open at the forward end, l, and having a slightly-curved outer side, n, extending beyoud the body a short distance at the mouth to give it the shape of a scoop. The forward edge of the opposite side, x, of the bucket is turned back nearly at right angles thereto to form a guide iiange or lip, p, over which the water passes to the receptacle B when the bucket is inverted.

The buckets D are secured to a base board or frame,'f, having an extension, g, arranged at an angle to the body f, as shown. At the junction of the extension with the base is a semi-cylindrical groove, t', into which ts a cylindrical rod, 71., extending beyond the edges of the frame and terminating at each end in an ear, K, by which it is secured by screws or otherwise to the float c. It will be seen by this construction that the buckets are hinged to the floats of the wheel so as to be capable of a limited swinging movement, the extent of which depends only upon the degree of inclination of the part g with respect to the base f.

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a single series or arranged in pairs, as shown, are placed only a short distance apart, so as to contract the frame-work thereof as much as possible, and permit the iioatsv c to project beyond them on eitherside far enough to carry the elevatingbuckets D, and also to allow the receptacle or receiving-trough B to be supported as near the vertical center of the wheel as practicable and just below the circle described by the inner edge of the floats c. In

this manner the receptacle B is placed so that the buckets D will be carried above it,and so that-it will receive thewater as soon as a bucket falls forward as it approaches the top of the wheel. The water will thus fall only a comparatively short distance, thus lessening the liability of escape over the sides of the receptacle as it is discharged.

Where, as shown in Fig. 1, the wheel is to be used in a flume, for which purpose it is specially adapted, I drop or lower the latter from the point where it receives the wheel and where the floats c are struck by the water to about the vertical center of the wheel, and provide the flume with a curved bottoni, H, conforming to the circle described by the wheel. In this manner quite a number of. the floats c are maintained immersed in and are simultaneously acted upon by the Water; and it will also be seen that the paddles not only receive the force of the flowing water, but to a great extent its weight also, as it rushes down the curved bottom of the flume. A gate, T, sliding in suitable guides secured to the side walls of the flume, serves as a means of controlling the iiow of water to the wheel. To maintain such a depth of water in the flume as at all times to insure the proper filling of the elevating-buckets as the wheel revolves, I dam the water in the lowered portion ofthe flume by a checkboard, W, extending 'entirely across the flume and pivoted therein near the bottom by any suitable means. Immediately in the rear of the check-board I provide a rock-shaft, w, journaled in bearings in the side Walls of the iiume and extend-ing entirely across the latter. One end of the shaft projects through the side wall, s, and receives an operating-lever, o, while near its center it is provided with an arm, j, projecting radially therefrom, and upon which the free end of the check-board W is adapted to rest. By this construction the angle of the check-board may be readily varied to suit the required depth of water in the flume. It will also be observed that where the water iiows swiftly the check-board may be lowered to assume almost a horizontal position, and thus offer little or no resistance to its passage; but where the supply of water is limited the checkboard may easily be adjusted by the lever o to as nearly a vertical position as is required to maintain the water in the flume ata uniform depth without materially interfering with its free passage past the wheel. Any suitable means for holding the lever o in the position to which it may be adj usted may be employed. The running water in which the wheel is placed, coming forcibly in contatct with the paddles, imparts motion to the wheel,and as it revolves in the direction indicated by the arrow, Fig. l, the buckets are dipped into the water and iilled, and as the wheel continues Ato revolve they are successively elevated to the point of discharge into the receiving-receptacle. As each bucket approaches the receptacle B, it falls forward by its own weight and precipitates its contents into said receptacle before the bucket can be carried beyond the latter. Instead of the base-board f, I may in some cases use a frame consisting of wooden strips m m, formed in like manner ,with the inclined part, and each having a groove to receive the rod h, by which the buckets are hinged to the paddles.

It will be obvious that any other suitable form of hinge may be employed instead of that above described. So, also, I may use any other form ofstop for limiting the swing of the bucketssuch, for instance, as shown in Fig. 3, where I dispense with the inclined extension g, hinging the bucket to the float by an ordinary hinge, and employ a chain, w', secured to the lower edge of the bucket and to the float, for limiting the movement of the bucket. Y

In the construction above described, where each paddle c is provided with two elevatingbuckets, one at either end, I employ two receptacles arranged at opposite sides of the wheel. In cases where it is only desired to supply the Water from one side of the wheel, the size of the iloats c will be greatly reduced and so arranged as to project only on that side of the supporting-arms b from which the water is to be conducted. Should occasion require a greater or lessmovement of the buckets on their pivots, this may be secured by altering the angle of the extension g.

Without limiting myself to the precise construction and arrangement shown, I claim- 1. The combination, in a paddle-wheel, of base-pieces carrying buckets at one end and provided at the opposite end with inclined extensions, and hinges connecting said basepieces at thejunction of said inclined extensions therewith to the ioats of the wheel, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the wheel having radial arms, of iioats extending laterally beyond said arms and carrying buckets pivoted thereto at each end, and receptacles arranged to allow the buckets to be carried over them, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES H. WILLIAMSON.

Witnesses:

NATHANIEL K. BRAY, D. AL'roN DILLIs'rIN.

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